{{Short description|Public nature reserve in Israel}} {{Infobox protected area | name = Nitzanim Nature Reserve | alt_name = שמורת טבע חולות ניצנים | iucn_category = | image = Nicanim 040.jpg | image_alt = | image_caption = Nitzanim Nature Reserve map | image_size = | location = Southern Coastal Plain, Israel | nearest_city = Ashdod, Ashkelon | area = {{Convert|21600|dunam}} | established = 2005 | visitation_num = | visitation_year = | governing_body = | coordinates = {{coord|31|44|13|N|34|36|53|E|type:landmark_region:IL_dim:10000}} | url = }}
thumb|Nitzanim sands aerial view thumb|Hof Nitzanim / Nitzanim Beach The '''Nitzanim Sand Dune Nature Reserve''' is a 21,600 dunam (2,160 hectare) area within the {{ill|Nitzanim Sands|he|חולות ניצנים}} area between Ashdod and Ashkelon on the Southern Coastal Plain of the Israeli Mediterranean Sea coast.<ref name=nina>[https://inature.info/wiki/%d7%a9%d7%9e%d7%95%d7%a8%d7%aa_%d7%97%d7%95%d7%9c%d7%95%d7%aa_%d7%a0%d7%99%d7%a6%d7%a0%d7%99%d7%9d "Nitzanim Nature Reserve"]</ref><ref name=tragu>[https://www.visit.ashdod.muni.il/wp-content/uploads/travelers-guide/en/172/ "Nitzanim Sands Reserve"], Ashdod Travellers Guide at the Ashdod municipal website</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20220101203328/https://www.haaretz.com/1.4787310 "Nitzanim Dunes: Wealth of Flora Endangered by Construction"], ''Haaretz'', April 5, 2005</ref><ref>P. Kutiel, "Conservation and Management of the Mediterranean Coastal Sand Dunes in Israel", Journal of Coastal Conservation, Vol. 7, No. 2 (2001), pp. 183-192, {{JSTOR|25098365}} </ref>
It was declared as a public area in early 1980s by the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel and designated as a nature reserve on June 2, 2005.<ref name=nina/>
The Reserve includes a small settlement of Nitzan located in place of the Nitzanim kibbutz, which was resettled some 3-4 km to the south.
The reserve is split in two parts by the Nahal Evtah (Evtach, Avtah) ({{langx|he|נחל אבטח}}) wadi (Wadi el Ibtah) which leads to the Nitzanim Beach by the sea. The beach is a public area not part of the Reserve. The area south of the stream is designated for the IDF recruit training base {{ill|Batar Nitzanim|he|בט"ר ניצנים}} (Camp Yehoshua)<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.mitgaisim.idf.il/%D7%9B%D7%AA%D7%91%D7%95%D7%AA/english/bases/batar-nitzanim-camp-yehoshua/#/ |title="Batar Nitzanim (Camp Yehoshua)" |access-date=2022-01-01 |archive-date=2022-01-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220101191739/https://www.mitgaisim.idf.il/%D7%9B%D7%AA%D7%91%D7%95%D7%AA/english/bases/batar-nitzanim-camp-yehoshua/#/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> and is closed to public. The northern part is open to public all year round free of charge.<ref name=tragu/>
In 2005, during the Israeli disengagement from Gaza there was a controversial plan to resettle some Israeli settlers from Gaza Strip to the Nitzanim Dunes area. <ref>[https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4419751.stm (BBC)] [https://web.archive.org/web/20050409012325/http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/562313.html (Haaretz)]</ref>
==See also== *Ashdod Sand Dune *2021 Mediterranean oil spill
==References== {{commonscat|Nitzanim Nature Reserve}} {{reflist}}
{{Nature reserves of Israel}}
Category:Protected areas of Central District (Israel) Category:Nature reserves in Israel Category:Coasts of the Mediterranean Sea Category:Dunes of Israel